Steamer for oil wells



March 6, 1928.

B. W. SEYMOUR, SR

STEAMER FOR OIL WELLS Filed Dec. 5. 1,926

FIG 4- gran/"kw BURTON W SEYMOUR SR.

Patented Mar. 6, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STEAMER FOB OIL WELLS.

, Application filed December 3, 1826. Serial No. 152,481.

This invention relates to a steamer for oil wells, and the like, and more particularly to an improvement upon the structure shown 1n my Patent #1,623,890.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a steamer for 011 wells and the like by which the paraflin, which hardens upon the walls of the shot cavity or chamber, can be dissolved by the use of steam to inlo crease the output of a well, which steamer comprises a tank, and a heating unit connected to said tank by a hollow rod, said unit consisting of a sealed tube electrically heated, a jacket enclosing said tube and a pipe connected to said tank, surround ng said tube and carried by said jacket, said pipe having holes in the wall thereof adjacent said tube, whereby liquid in said tank enters said pipe, is sprayed through said holes onto said tube and is thereby converted into steam.

Other objects ofv this invention reside in the particular details of construction and arrangement set forth in the following specification, and in the drawings WhlCh iorm a part thereof, and in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly in section of a steamer embodying this invention, in operating position in a well;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the upper end of said steamer; and

Figs. 3 and 4 are cross sections taken along the lines 3-3 and 4-4 of Figure 1.

In the drawings, the reference numeral 10 is employed to designate a steamer embodying one form of this invention, and comprising a heating unit 11 and a tank 12 connected by a hollow rod 13.

The tank 12 is provided at the top with a cover plate 14, the upper face of which is preferably concave. Through the plate 14 are cut a plurality of openings 15 for a purpose to be described later. Fixed in an annular groove 16 at the outer edge of the plate 14'is an expansion ring 17, similar to the ring shown in the copending application above mentioned. The plate 14 has an annular flange 18 cut away at its lower portion to 'provide a shoulder 19. The plate flange 18 enters the mouth of the tank with the shoulder 19 resting on the upper edge thereof. The plate may be fixed in the tank in any desired manner.

In the bottom of the tank 12 is an aperture 20 through which the rod 13 passes. The rod is externally threaded at 21 and supported by the jacket.

connected to the tank 12 through a hole 45 the tank is secured thereto by nuts 22, 23 which also function to seal the aperture 20. The rod 13 also passes through an aperture 24 in the cover plate 14 and terminates in a 100 25, which can be madeuse of in raising or owering the steamer.'

The heating unit 11 comprises an electricall heated tube 30 enclosed by a jacket 31. Bot the tube and the jacket are of metal, preferably of copper. The tube is sealed at the top by a plug 32 and at the bottom by a cap 33, which encloses and is preferably threadedly secured to the lower end of the tube 30. Supported by the plug 32 and cap 33 are posts 34 around each of which is a continuous coil 35 of wire. The coils 35 meet in a cable 36, which passes through the conduit 37 to the outer surface of the loop 25. t

The plug 32 is externally threaded at 38 to engage internal threads, 39 at the mouth of the tube. The tube 30 preferably seats against a shoulder 40 on the plug 32, thus insuring the closure of the tube. Through the center of the plug 32 is formed a passage 41, into which the lower end of the rod 13 enters.

The rod is externally threaded to en age the passage 41 and to receive a nut 42, w ich clamps the jacket 31 down onto the plug 32. Thus the tube 30 is firmly fixed in place in thejacket 31, and the unit 11 is rigidly connected to the tank 12.

The jacket 31 is spaced from the tube 30 at the side and bottom and is provided with a plurality of perforations 43. In the space between the tube 30 and the jacket 31 is mounted a pipe 44, preferably spiral, and The pipe 44 is in the bottom thereof, sealed by a air of nuts 46, 47. The upper end 48 of t e pipe is bent in the form of a crook neck, so that it opens downwardly and functions as a siphon. In the walls of the pipe 44 between the tube 30 and jacket 31 are formed a series of holes 49, each on the side nearest the tube 30.

An oil well, in which this invention is particularly intended to be used, includes a drilled hole 50 and a shot cavity or chamber 51, from the walls of which flows the oil. One of the constituents of the oil, particularl when in the ground, is paraflin, which ten s to harden on the walls of the chamber, thus impeding the flow of the oil and hence cutting the output ot' the well is well known that steam will melt the hardenedparailin and thus free the passages in the ground, so that the oil can flow into the chamber 51..

A steamer embodyinpf this inventlon is lowered through the ho e 50 by means of a cable attached to the loop until the heating unit ll is withinthe chamber 51. The tank 12 remains inthe hole 50 and the expansion rings 17 bear against the wall of the hole, thus sealing the chamber 51.,

The heating coils 35 are now energized and water is poured directly into the mouth oi the hole 50. This water falls onto the plate 1d and enters the tank 12 through the openings 15. When the tank 18 tilled suiticiently to cover the end 48 of the pipe at, the water flows through the pipe into the unit ll, and travels through the coil in the space between the tube and jacket 31. The water in the pipe dd escapes through the holes 49 and strikes against the tube 30, which is heated by the coils 35. The water is thus transformed into steam and escaping from the unit ll through the perforations ddfills the chamber 51 and attacks the paratlin on the walls thereof. This treatment can he continued as long as desired.

By reason of the crock neck 48. any dirt that may he in the tank 12 will remain there and not pass into the pipe 4d.

A sump or catch basin 52 may be provided at the bottom of the tank in which the dirt and so forth may collect. A valve 53 permits drainage of the tank whenever desired. y

It will he noted that the tube 30 is completely sealed so that the heating coils 35 therein cannot be attacked or in any way afi'ected by any water, oil or other liquid that may he in the chamber 51.. Moreover, such liquid will be heated by. the steam generated by the heating unit 11, and also by its contact with the tube. If desired, advantage can he taken of this fact to use the steamer simply as a source of heat, and generate steam by boiling the liquid. The rings 17 will, of course, confine the steamin the chamber so that it will attack the par= afin on the walls thereof. 7 Although this invention has been described for use in oil wells to remove 'parafin from the walls thereof, this use was selected simply for the purpose of illustration, since the device could be used in wells other than oil wells and will attack not only parafin but anyother meltable material that mal lr impede or prevent the output of the we Wile one embodiment only of this vention has been shown and described, ap plicant is not limited thereto, since it is obvious that other embodiments can he made without departing from the spirit and scope eonora of this invention as set forth in the following claims lrlaving thus set forth my invention, what it claim as new and for which ll desire protection by Letters Patent is:

l. A steamer for oil wells andthe like, comprising a tank, a cover plate therefor having openings therein, a heating unit, a rod connecting said tank and unit, a coil in said unit having holes therein, and connected to said tank, a source of heat in said unit, an expansion ring on said tank which contacts with the wall of said well and seals the same, whereby water poured into the well will enter said tank through said openings, pass into said coil in said heating unit, and escaping thereiirom through said holes, ple transformed into steam by said source of eat. 2. In a steamer for oil wells and-the like, a heating unit com rising a tube sealed at both ends, means "or heating said tube, a jacket surrounding said tube, and a coil carried, by said jacket adjacent said tube.

3. Tu a steamer for oil wells and the like, a heating unit comprising a tube sealed at both ends, means for heating said tube, a jacket surrounding said tube, a coil carried by said jacket adjacent said tube, and means for supplying water to said coil, said coil having holes therein by which the water su plied thereto is sprayed against said to e, and transformed into steam.

t. In a steamer for oil wells and the like, a heating unit com rising a tube sealed at both ends, means or heating said tube, a jacket surrounding said tube, a coil carried by said jacket adjacent said tube, and means for supplying water to said coil, said coil having holes therein by which the water supplied thereto is sprayed against said tube and transformed into steam, said jacket having perforations therein, through which said steam can escape from said unit.

5.. in a steamer for oil wells and the like, a heating unit comprising a tube sealed at both ends, electrical means for heating said tube, a jacket surroundin said tube, and a coiiol carried by said jacket adjacent said tu e.

6. in a steamer for oil wells and the like, a heating unit comprising a tube sealed at both ends, electrical means for heating said tube, a jacket surroundin said tube, a coil carried by said jacket adjacent said tube, and means for supplying Water to said coil, said coil havin holes therein, by which the water supplie thereto is sprayed against said tube, and transformed into steam. Y

7. In a steamer for oil wells and the like, a heating unit comprising a tube sealed at both ends, electrical means for heating said tube, a jacket surroundingsaid tube, a coil carried by said jacket adjacent said tube, and means for supplying water. to said coil,

' jacket and a hollow rod to which said tank and said heating unit are attached, said rod entering said tube, an electric cable passed through said rod and connected to said coils, said pipe opening into said tank, whereby liquid in said tank enters said pipe and is discharged therefrom onto said tube through the holes in said pipe.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature.

BURTON W. SEYMOUR, SR. 

